Destiny's Path (21 page)

***

Flynn was in a red haze of sexual need bordering on feral. His need to have her, to take her, and make her come was the only thing that he wanted right then. And he would accomplish that goal if it took him all night.

She wrapped her legs around his middle, a signal that she wanted him to go deeper. He did. And at a pace that left them both nearly breathless. He came out just enough to slam back into her. The sound of his body slapping against hers, his growling, grunting, and finally taking a nipple into his warm mouth, was what sent her screaming into orgasm. She raked her nails down his back as she took her pleasure.

“Ahhh!” Flynn roared, following her as he held her hips for his final thrusts.

They were both breathing hard and sweating as the final vibrations subsided. Flynn lay gently on her, resting his head next to hers on the pillow. His body was still jerking a bit.

“Jesus.” He breathed, then rose up to look at her. “Are you all right?” He brushed her sweat-drenched hair back.

“I am now.”

“I didn’t mean to get so carried away. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

He pulled out to look her over. She protested a bit at that. It did feel better when he was inside her.

“I’m all right Flynn. In fact, I feel great.” She sighed, stretching like a well-fed cat.

His eyes followed her movements, then zeroed in on her hips. She had bright red marks the exact shape and size of his fingers.

“Jeez, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ve never been that out of control before.” He raked both hands through his hair. “Ever.”

“Flynn, you have no reason to apologize.”

“But I do!” he exclaimed. “I…” He dropped his head back and exhaled loudly.

“What’s wrong?” Her look was filled with concern.

“I really don’t know how to tell you.” And he wasn’t sure he should. With all she had learned tonight, he didn’t want to add more. But this couldn’t be helped.

That seemed to catch her by surprise. There really wasn’t much that Flynn, or even the others, couldn’t and didn’t tell her. But this, well, it wasn’t easy no matter how open he had been with everything else.

“Okay. Is it good or bad in nature?”

“Well, it isn’t good,” he hedged.

“All right, then just tell me and let me be the judge.”

He drew a deep breath. “Sometimes, the males of our race can turn feral during the mating act.”

She blinked, her expression saying she wasn’t sure what that meant. “Explain, please?”

“Turning feral is when the animal side takes over, driving all rational thought out and operating on pure instinct.” This was how he felt only a moment ago.

“Okay, now what does that have to do with us?”

He paused with indecision. To tell or not to tell. Tell. He owed her that much as his True Mate. “Some Lupus have been known to seriously injure their Mates while like that. Others have done even worse.” He hung his head.

“What do you mean
worse
?”

“Some have actually killed their Mates, experiencing a mating frenzy.”

“A mating frenzy?” she repeated.

“It’s not something that’s openly discussed. In fact, it’s one of the few parts of our nature that we find shameful and abhorrent.”

“I can see why.” She nodded with wide eyes.

“There’s not much in this world I fear, but just the idea of turning feral while making love to you makes my blood run cold.” He gathered her close, praying fervently that it never happened, no matter how crazed with lust she made him.

“You could never hurt me, Flynn,” she told him with firm belief.

“But…” he started to say.

“No, listen to me.” She made him look her in the eyes. “I pushed you over the edge tonight. I gloried in it, and yes, you were rough, but that’s all.”

“I marked you.”

“And I marked you, so we’re even.” She pointed to his back and neck.

In surprise, he reached around and felt the small scratches, then felt the bite mark on his neck. He could even feel a little wetness from a couple of the scratches and knew the bite mark would leave a dark bruise. It was a bit of a thrill to know his True Mate could give as well as she got.

“So you see, even after being pushed past your limit, you didn’t turn feral.” She smiled playfully. “Just carried away.”

“You just keep surprising me.” He grinned, shaking his head ruefully.

“Wouldn’t want to bore you.”

He gathered her close and hugged her tight. “Never that, love, never that.”

She returned the hug, letting out a deep sigh as they sat there enjoying each other.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower.” Sasha threw back the covers.

“And after that workout you just put me through, I could use some food.”

“Food sounds great.”

“Good.” He headed for the door. “I’ll gather our supplies, and you go shower.”

“Uh, Flynn.” She stopped him before he got out the door.

“Yes?”

“You going to the kitchen like that?”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, everyone is asleep. Besides, it won’t be the first time I’ve raided the kitchen in the buff.” He winked and left.

***

She shook her head. The Lupus and their casual nudity.

Bounding out of bed, she went to bathroom and started the water. When she saw steam rising from the stall, she adjusted the temp and stepped in.

“Ah, that feels great,” she sighed.

After her transformation and a bout of marathon sex, she really needed this, though she didn’t feel tired or drained. In fact, she felt rather energized. Like she had just woken up from a long restful sleep.

Maybe she should talk to Flynn about that. He wasn’t the Pack’s main doctor for nothing. After all she had been through that day, she should be dead on her feet. But then again, her energy level could be the byproduct of her transformation. There was an eight-hundred-year-old Lupus virus floating around in her veins.

That settled, she relaxed farther under the hot spray, letting her mind and body be soothed by the cascading water. It felt great to be by herself for a few minutes. What with all that’d been happening to her for the past several days, she needed this alone time. And Lord knew she’d had none since all this began. But now that she was able to think without an audience, her new life seemed more natural to her than her old one. Like she belonged here and always had. She didn’t think she could go back to her old life, not that she would want to. But truth be told, for as long as she could remember, she’d never fit in anywhere. Even in her own family. It was like she was disconnected somehow from everything and everyone around her. And now she felt like everything fit. Like she was home.

But Jenna was still out there, plotting and planning. She was the only problem. The one fly in the ointment of her new life. And contrary to what Roan thought, it
would
eventually come down to the two of them. She felt as certain of it as knowing the sun would rise and set. She just wished she knew when and what the outcome would be.

Finishing her wash, she rinsed off and then cut the water. She heard the bathroom door open as she was about to step out the shower stall.

“Back with the food so soon?” she asked, opening the glass door and stepping out.

Unfortunately the scent of the person in the room was all wrong.

“I didn’t bring food. But I did bring this,” said the strange woman with a very large handgun pointed directly at Sasha’s head.

Chapter Ten

Flynn couldn’t believe he would ever be this happy, he thought as he quietly made his way to the kitchen. Nor could he believe he had finally found his True Mate. But he had, and she was real. All those lonely years of wanting someone to share his life with were over. And Sasha was perfect for him with her easy acceptance and quick wit, her humor and boundless love. She was everything he had ever wanted in a Mate and more. Then there was her delectable body. He smiled as he opened the fridge. His cock got hard as he thought about the ways he wanted to worship all those curves. And worship he would. He would bring her to screaming completion and then start all over again.

With a plan for the rest of the night in mind and a huge grin on his face, Flynn got out meat, cheese, and a few other things for an impromptu picnic. But it was as he was going to the breadbox that he smelled something odd. Or rather someone.

“Rhonda.” He growled, going to the back door to find it slightly ajar.

Her scent was strong. And there was something else as well. Gun oil.

Flynn looked up at the ceiling, one thought in mind. “Sasha.”

He raced through the house but stopped at the foot of the stairs. Barging in on Rhonda would be dangerous. She had a gun and wasn’t afraid to use it. If he spooked her, then Sasha was sure to get shot. Then there was Jenna. She was certain to be lurking around somewhere. No, he needed backup if he was to save his Mate. And he needed to go about it quietly and quickly. The element of surprise was the only weapon he had at his disposal, and he needed to use it wisely.

With that thought in mind, Flynn crept to Roan’s room, knowing between the two of them, they could save Sasha and eliminate any who threatened her.

***

The woman was taller than Sasha, slender, with ash blond hair and the coldest blue eyes Sasha had ever seen. Jenna bore a striking resemblance. These two looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. Oh, and of course the woman had to be naked.
Must have changed before arriving here
, Sasha thought. Though how she managed that feat was a question Sasha was going to get an answer to.

“Rhonda, is it?” Sasha already knew who she was but wanted to appear ignorant. Wouldn’t do to tip her hand this early in the game.

“You know my name?” she asked suspiciously.

“Jenna looks a lot like you.” Sasha shrugged casually.

Oddly, she didn’t fear this woman. Even though Rhonda had an impressive weapon aimed at her, she wasn’t scared at all. She was worried about Flynn, though. If Rhonda was here, then where was Flynn? And where was Jenna?

“Lupus genetics at its best.” Rhonda snickered. “Though with the smell of sex on the air, I’d say you know all about that. At least the basics.” She laughed at her own joke.

“What do you want, Rhonda?”

That brought her up short. Sasha guessed that Rhonda didn’t think she would want her to get to the point so quickly. Hmm, that could work to her advantage. Keep Rhonda off guard enough to get close and relieve her of that gun. Tricky at best, but the only plan Sasha had.

Rhonda recovered and looked hard at Sasha. “What do I want? Why, you and this entire family dead so my Jenna can rule the Pack like she was always meant to.”

Yep, she was nuts.

“Jenna, rule?” Sasha snorted. “Do you honestly think after all she has done, and you for that matter, the entire Pack will let you both live, let alone allow Jenna to rule?” She laughed outright at that. “I think not.”

Rhonda’s blue eyes started to glow. Sasha could feel the anger and resentment there. She was powerful—Sasha would give her that—but she wasn’t an Alpha. Sasha was, and there was absolutely no way she was going to let this crazed bitch hurt her family.

“All of this wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t come along,” Rhonda spat. “Jenna just needed more time with Flynn, more time to win him over. Then they would have been Mated, and my Jenna would be second in command.”

Crazy
and
delusional, what a combo.

She cocked the gun and pointed it at Sasha’s head. “But you ruined everything, and now all of you have to die.” She gave an evil grin. “Only you will be the first to go. Flynn, of course, will go slowly after you. That’s what happens, you know, when a True Mate dies. The other feels their Mate slipping away, can even feel it when their heart stops. But he won’t follow you immediately, oh no. Once you’re dead and the bond is broken, he’ll be crazed at first, out of his head with grief. His system will shut down, one organ at a time, until his heart stops beating.”

Sasha wanted to throw up. It also made her mad. Totally pissed that this lunatic could delight in their demise.

“But don’t worry about the others. We’ll make sure they go quickly. A couple of shots to the base of the head to sever the spine should do the trick.” She spoke casually, like it was not a problem.

That was what finally made Sasha snap. Her blood was already boiling about Flynn, but hearing Rhonda talk so casually about killing her new family in cold blood pushed her over the edge.

“Do anything to harm me or mine, and I’ll make you sorry to be alive.” Sasha growled.

She could feel power flooding her system, anger and the need to protect her family from this threat fueling it. She could see her eyes in the far mirror glowing so brightly with blue-green flames that the room was lit up. She could also see the first sign of fear and a dawning realization come into Rhonda’s eyes.

The gun wavered in her hand, almost like she was shaking but tried to control it. “But you… you couldn’t have…” she stammered.

Sasha slowly walked toward Rhonda, her power surrounding her like a shield. “I could and have.”

When Sasha reached her, Rhonda was shaking so badly from shock she could hardly keep hold of the gun. Surprise was a wonderful tool when used at the right time.

“How?” She whispered with fear. “You weren’t supposed to survive the First Transformation.”

Sasha took the gun easily out of her hand. “I have a lot to live for. I’m also an Alpha. I’m told that makes a great difference.”

Rhonda gasped in disbelief, shaking her head. “No, no, you can’t be. Jenna is Alpha. She’s…”

Sasha never let her finish, just tossed the gun in the nearby sink, then grabbed Rhonda around the throat and slammed her into the nearest wall. Just like Sasha did to the woman’s daughter.

“I am Alpha of this Pack, make no mistake,” Sasha snarled, squeezing Rhonda’s throat to get her point across. “Now where is Jenna?”

Rhonda tried to shake her head no, that she wasn’t going to tell Sasha. But Sasha had had enough of all this crap being heaped on her shoulders. And she had to admit that all her anger at not having a choice, of being put in this position in the first place, kind of fueled her fury as well.

“I’ll ask you again, where is Jenna?” She growled.

Rhonda tried to break free, squirming and moving. So Sasha helped her by throwing her across the room and into the shower stall. She knew the sound of glass shattering probably woke everyone, but she really didn’t care. She wanted Jenna, and Rhonda was going to tell her, or she was going to regret it.